surf
Americannoun
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the swell of the sea that breaks upon a shore or upon shoals.
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the mass or line of foamy water caused by the breaking of the sea upon a shore, especially a shallow or sloping shore.
verb (used without object)
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to ride a surfboard.
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to float on the crest of a wave toward shore.
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to swim, play, or bathe in the surf.
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to search haphazardly, as for information on a computer network or an interesting program on television.
verb (used with object)
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to ride a surfboard on.
We surfed every big wave in sight.
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to search through (a computer network or TV channels) for information or entertainment.
noun
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waves breaking on the shore or on a reef
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foam caused by the breaking of waves
verb
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(intr) to take part in surfing
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computing (on the internet) to move freely from website to website (esp in the phrase surf the net )
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to move freely between (TV channels or radio stations)
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informal to be carried on top of something
that guy's surfing the audience
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( in combination )
trainsurfing
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Related Words
See wave.
Other Word Forms
- surfable adjective
- surfer noun
- surflike adjective
Etymology
Origin of surf
First recorded in 1600–10; earlier suff; of uncertain origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Which reminds me... the last time we spoke, Ridings confessed she'd always dreamt about crowd surfing, but her music was "too sad" to allow it.
From BBC
He also advises recreating in areas where there are lifeguards keeping an eye out for sharks and to avoid swimming or surfing around dawn and dusk when shark feeding behavior tends to peak.
From Los Angeles Times
A woman who defrauded more than £23,000 in benefits claiming she was too ill to go outside has avoided jail after she was caught surfing and ziplining in Mexico.
From BBC
As he reached adulthood, Daily moved around the US, spending six months in Texas with his grandmother, and six months with his father, before falling into couch surfing.
From BBC
All three hang out at the beach, either playing volleyball or surfing.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
